Anurag Kashyap reacts to violence at Kolkata’s SRFTI campus: 'This is what they stole the votes for'

Anurag Kashyap. Pic via X

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has broken his silence on the reported violence at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata. A clash reportedly broke out between a section of students and members of the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP) on September 27. A dispute over an event organised at the institute led to a massive brawl, following which the students and ABGP members have presented different accounts of the incident. Amid the controversy, the filmmaker has now shared the SRFTI students' statement on social media and reacted to the incident.

Anurag Kashyap Reacts To SRFTI Violence

Anurag Kashyap shared the SRFTI students' statement on his social media and wrote, "This is what they stole the votes for in Bengal. This and so much more."

Notably, Kashyap's reaction comes after a fight broke out on the institute campus between a section of students and members of the ABGP over an event organised at the venue.

What happened at SRFTI

The SRFTI Students Union, in their statement, claimed that they were not informed before permission was granted for an Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP) event at the institute's Main Theatre on September 27. On Sunday, at around 2 PM, students gathered at the venue to protest the decision and even put up posters. The Union further alleged that ABGP members confronted them, after which the situation reportedly escalated into violence.

The students claim that they were verbally abused as well as physically attacked with punches, kicks, stones, bricks and sticks. They also said that students, including women, were chased across the campus, adding that some sought shelter inside the library. The librarian was also allegedly assaulted during the incident.

"At the time of issuing this statement, people are still gathered outside the institute gate, attempting to enter the campus and throwing stones and bottles towards students inside," the statement added.

The Students' Union also alleged that students' clothes were torn and phones were forcibly snatched before police were informed and reached the institute. They noted that they issued the statement to document their version of series of events and to counter what it described as misleading accounts circulating online.